The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-12
THE PILGRIM STAR.
Disbelief in the Actal Disappearance q
the Star of Bethlehem.
From the Missouri Republican.

From the Missouri Republican.
The reported temperance in the heavens
of the "Star of Bethlehem" after an alb.
sence of more than 800 years, reawakened
the interest in this wonderful visitor which
was manifested a year or so ago, and ths
local astronomers are brushing up on its
history and the theories advanced in favor
of its Identity The first intelligent story OF
the appearance of this Pilgrim star is
transmitted by Tycho Brahe, who recog-
nized it in Cassiopea's CHAIN on Nov. IL,
l512. This was before the invention of the
telescope, but the peculiar brightness and
characteristics OF the star at once revealed
its novelty. IL was at that time much
brighter than any star Of the first magnitude,
and was of a brilliant yellow color. BY many
people it was seen at midday until February
of the following year, when it is assumed
darker, reddish hue, and had gradually
diminished in brilliancy TO the quality OF a
star of the first magnitude; by the following
November il had sssuned the proportions OF
a fourth magnituc5 star, and at the end oi
March, 1874, it faded from before the naked
eye. Tycho Brahe describes his discovery az
a most brilliant, scintillating star, withouts
tail and with the features of the other fixed
stars, excepting that its scintillations were
more pronounced and stronger. 1t was also
without the nebulous lights so often OBJ
sumed to be. Upon the appearance of the
star the great Danish astronomer who dis
covered il, and his learned colleagues,
sought for some data by which to place 1t.
They finally found that about 1854 a sAlr
had been discovered at the site occupied by
their star, and again in 045. At both OF
these dates the descriptions were meagre,
but in the absence of better explanation
they assumed that the stars at the different
dates we're one and the same; so, tracing
back down the vault of years, they discover
ed that the star would, by the laws of
periodicity, have been present at about the
year B. G. Reasoning on the basis of the
recognized inaccuracies Of the methods OF
computation of time in those days of SIM
plicity, they assumed again that their star
was the very same guiding star that led the
magi TO
THE MANGER AT BETHLEHEM,
and they called it "The Sar Of Bethlehern.n
During all these years Of the supposed alb
sence of the star Of Bethlehem there has re-
sided at its proper abode, in the chair of the
celestial queen Cassopea, a star OF the tenth
magnitude, which was long supposed to be
the Star of Bethehem, hiding, as II were,
behind some mysterious veil OF fate.
A theory was advanced many years ago
that the ''sun spots, which are characters
istics more or less Of the fixed stars and the
sun, were variable in their luminosity, and,
being vastly larger than the spots on the
sun, served either TO reveal or hide the star.
The stars known as "eleven-year stars
were covered with spots, frequent in their
changes; the stars visible at longer inters
walls were possessed of spots whose variations
were correspondingly slow in execution. So
that on this theory the star of Bethlehem
may not have been truant after all, but
may have undergone the change in sun spots,
causing its dimness, and the luminous stage
Of its spots may now be returning. Ac-
cording 10 another theory, and one, by the
way, not 50 well thought Of, AN Opaque body
of some celestial texture, is poised IN space
barring our vision from portion OF such
supposed periodical star, and the surface OF
light being thereby diminished, we see the
star at a great disadvantage, and assume
that IL is a star of some lesser magnitude.
FATHER cHARRoPPIN's VIEWS
Among The local astronomers most inter
ested in the prospective guest is Rev. Father
ChaTopin of st Louis university, who Is
giving the matter some serious study and
observation. He is as yet sceptical as to the
identify OF the star of Bethlehem, and sug-
gests that il will be well not 10 conclude too
hastily that the Almi ghty has made use OF
one little star of to-day to guide the shepherds
10 the Saviour Of mankind. He inclines to
the opinion that the biblical "star of Beth
lehem" was some miraculous light going be-
fore the nagi, as did the ''pilar of fire by
night and the pillar OF cloud by day." when
IL was Gods will that the children of Israel
should be led through the desert Of Egypt.
However, he does not dispute that the name
is apropos, since the history Of the star is
that IL Is one of the brightest in the celestial
diaden Rev. Charropin is of the opfn-
ion that the star expected, has remained at
il present site during the ages of the world,
but that some unknown force has yelled It.
It's appearance 3l5 years are 20 be explained
ON one or more Of the several theories
advanced, two Of which are given
above, and he thinks that ere the period OF
brightness Of the star passes away, should
il come at all, the improved instruments of
the day win have discovered its hiding place